Athletics News

Notes On A ScorecardTCU director of intercollegiate athletics Chris Del Conte discusses the hot topics around the Horned Frogs

Chris Del Conte

April 3, 2013

SPRING FROG FESTAs I'm sure you've heard by now, Saturday will be our Spring Frog Fest. The day begins with our football team having an open practice at 10:15 a.m. on its practice fields. Please note that cameras (video, photo and cell phone) are not permitted. Our equipment Spring Sale will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Kelly Center lawn. The dedication of our Horned Frog statue, located in front of the east entrance to Amon G. Carter Stadium, is at 12:30 p.m. Our football student-athletes and head coach Gary Patterson will then be available for autographs on the Kelly Center lawn between 1 and 3 p.m. Your day on campus is then capped by our 4 p.m. home baseball game versus San Francisco.

SEASON-TICKET RENEWAL REMINDERIf you haven’t renewed your football season tickets yet, please remember the April 15 deadline. Just contact our ticket office (817-257-3764) or Frog Club (817-257-7700) with any questions.

COODY CLASSIC RECAPI enjoyed seeing many of you Monday at the 16th-annual Charles Coody Classic presented by the TCU Lettermen’s Association at Texas Star Golf Club in Euless. We had 196 players taking part. We truly appreciate the involvement TCU graduate and 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody has with this very popular tournament. We also thank head football coach Gary Patterson for taking the time to hone his golf game in between spring practices. This year’s tournament raised a record $65,000 for our scholarship efforts. Congratulations to the winning team of Malcolm Tallmon, Mike Reinhart, Clarence Dowdy and Russell Young with an 18-under-par score of 53. If you missed the tournament and would still like to contribute to the Coody Classic, you can do so online at www.tcufrogclub.com.

Congratulations also to TCU alum John Sherwood, who entered the Coody Classic Raffle and won the Monday Pro-Am spot at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. We very much appreciate our friends at Colonial for their great support.

GREAT PERFORMANCESOur student-athletes continue to receive recognition for their efforts in competition. Freshman Paul Barjon was selected as Golfweek’s National Player of the Week after taking medalist honors at the U.S. Intercollegiate in Stanford, Calif. Our equestrian program saw Demi Stiegler named Big 12 Equitation on the Flat Rider of the Year and Alexie Estrada tabbed the conference’s Co-Horsemanship Rider of the Year. Additionally, Haley Jacobi is the Big 12 Equestrian Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Track and field’s Charles Silmon recorded one of the top 100-meter efforts in our history with a wind-aided 9.94 at last weekend’s Texas Relays in Austin.

WEDDING BELLSHow about Frog Club director Jeremiah Donati tying the knot Saturday with his new bride Nicole! Please make sure to congratulate our favorite newlywed. In true Jeremiah fashion, he was back in the office first thing Monday morning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!If you or a family member has an upcoming birthday, there’s no better place to spend it than Lupton Stadium. Please click here to learn about our birthday packages.

IN THE SHOWWith the major league baseball season underway this week, we send our best to our four active big leaguers: Jake Arrieta (Baltimore Orioles), Scott Atchison (New York Mets), Andrew Cashner (San Diego Padres) and Matt Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals). We also have a host of former players in the minor leagues. Please click here for a look at where to find everyone at a ballpark near you.

ON THE DOCKETOur women’s tennis program is at SMU this afternoon before hosting its first conference matches this weekend. We've opened Big 12 play with a 3-0 record with all three wins being on the road. Head coach Dave Borelli's squad will face Kansas State on Friday at 2 p.m. and Kansas on Sunday at 10 a.m. Our men will begin conference action with matches Friday at Oklahoma State and Sunday at Oklahoma. Baseball continues its nine-game homestand tonight at 6:30 versus UTPA before welcoming San Francisco to Lupton Stadium for a three-game weekend series. First pitch is 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Track and field will head to Los Angeles for the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational.

MEET THE STAFFAs Jim Schlossnagle points out, she’s been with him from the day he arrived at TCU in 2003. Brandie Davidson is now in her 10th year as a member of our media relations office and the contact for baseball, soccer and rifle. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native and Northwest Missouri State alum came to TCU as a graduate assistant. After receiving her masters of liberal arts, she was then promoted to full-time status. When Coach Schlossnagle serves as manager this summer for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, Brandie will again be with him as the squad’s press officer. She worked last summer in a similar capacity for the USA Women’s Baseball Team.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Gary Cooper remains one of our more popular football lettermen. He was a defensive lineman from 1963-65 and team captain as a senior, helping lead us to the Sun Bowl. Gary and his wife of 46 years, Junanne, live in Fort Worth and are both realtors for Coldwell Banker Residential. They have three children and eight grandkids.

SPANNING THE GLOBEThis week’s edition of TCU supporters flashing the Horned Frog sign and apparel from all points worldwide comes from Joe Jordan. We see Amanda Jordan, Joe’s daughter and a junior at TCU, in front of a cathedral in Prague as she studies overseas this semester. Please continue to send me (delconte@tcu.edu) your images. These are fun to share.

NAME THE MOVIE QUOTELast Week's Answer: It was Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem of Zamunda, in Coming to America, who eloquently said, "The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big ‘H.’ It was a most ripping victory."

This Week's Quote: "I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse." Make sure to check back next week for the answer.

COMPLIANCE CORNERBrick is a men's basketball student-athlete at Faber College. Brick is a junior and likely to be drafted by the NBA after the 2012-13 academic year. Brick is going to participate in permissible tryout opportunities after the season and has been approached by several agents. Brick has informed the agents that he cannot enter into any type of verbal or written agreement with them without jeopardizing his eligibility. Several of the interested agents would like to give Brick a new pair of sneakers to use for the tryouts. Is this permissible? If not, is it permissible to provide the sneakers to Brick's siblings instead?

No, it is not permissible to provide any benefits to Brick or any of his friends and/or family members. NCAA Bylaw 12.3.1.2 states that an individual shall be ineligible per Bylaw 12.3.1 if he or she (or his or her relatives or friends) accepts transportation or other benefits from: (Revised: 1/14/97)

(a) Any person who represents any individual in the marketing of his or her athletics ability. The receipt of such expenses constitutes compensation based on athletics skill and is an extra benefit not available to the student body in general; or

(b) An agent, even if the agent has indicated that he or she has no interest in representing the student-athlete in the marketing of his or her athletics ability or reputation and does not represent individuals in the student-athlete's sport. (Adopted: 1/14/97)

KEEP IN TOUCHPlease let us know if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding our program. This is also your program and we value your feedback. We welcome all calls and emails.